Digital Health Awareness: Participatory Strategy from ContinuingMedical Education

Abstract

Aim: The digital transformation in healthcare demands that professionals and students integrate technologies, data governance, and interoperability into clinical
practice. Therefore, a digital health awareness course was designed and implemented for healthcare professionals. This work analyzes this experience by considering the
methodological structure, its contents, the pedagogical approach, and the lessons learned. Methodology: A participatory evaluation and a final integrative synthesis were conducted for the 40-hour virtual course aimed at health professionals, with seven biweekly synchronous sessions and asynchronous activities focused on active learning and practical applicability. Results. Forty-two answers were analyzed: 52,4% women; age groups of 31 to 40 years old (45,2%) and 41 to 55 (38,1%) predominated; 92,9 % had a university degree; and people from every province participated. Evaluations in objectives, contents, and execution were “Very good/Good”; 78,6% considered its application at work positive; and suggestions included interoperability, data bases, artificial intelligence, norms, and workshops. Conclusions. Its positive impact relates to a mixed approach, a pertinent thematic, and a collective knowledge creation. Some difficulties include heterogeneous profiles and connectivity barriers, so a digital abilities diagnosis and differentiated support is recommended. Digital health awareness is necessary and viable, so recommendations are scaling and institutionalizing the model, incorporating practice and advanced tools to eliminate barriers, and consolidating an inclusive system focused on the person.